This invention relates to steel stud building systems and, more particularly to apparatus for connecting vertical and horizontal structural members thereof in a manner to permit relative movement therebetween in a vertical and a horizontal direction.
Seismic activity plagues buildings and their inhabitants in many areas of the world, causing untold amounts of damage and monetary loss in addition to injury and loss of life. Building damage is mainly due to the vibration of a building to cause shifts of one portion of the building frame with respect to another portion. In conventional construction, the building components are rigidly locked together and their connective joint will fracture under the vibrational stress, often resulting in collapse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,566 for a Curtain Wall Clip; U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,006 for a Stud Mounting Clip; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,080 for a Bracket For Interconnecting A Building Stud To Primary Structural Components each provide connective building components which permit relative movement between structural members in a vertical direction. The teachings of each of these patents are incorporated by reference. These patents all recognize an important need to permit building frame members to shift rather than fracture. However, none of these patents provides for movement in a horizontal plane, although this movement does occur during an earthquake. Thus, while the building floor is free to move relative to its walls for a limited vertical distance when the known connectors are used, horizontal movement is not an option. When the seismic vibration occurs in a direction to induce horizontal shift, damage, injury, and death can still happen.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a building component connector that enables relative movement horizontally.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a building component connector that enables relative movement both vertically and horizontally.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent through the disclosure of the invention to follow.
The present invention provides a connector for use between building structural members for allowing a degree of freedom of movement in both vertical and horizontal planes. The connector is formed as an angular bracket having parallel, elongate slots in each of its planar portions with the slots in one portion perpendicular to the slots in the other portion. The connector is installed with its first planar portion attached slidingly to a first building component and its second planar portion attached slidingly to a second building component. The relative perpendicular orientation of the sets of slots allows both vertical and horizontal relative movements between the building components.